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Blue Ridge League
=Blue Ridge League= The first Blue Ridge League was formed in 1915. That class D league had teams in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. This league was founded by Charles W. Boyer, who helped organize the original South Atlantic League in 1903. Boyer was the league's first president, and was based in Hagerstown, MD. In 1916, James Vincent Jamison, Jr., took over as league president, and held the position for the remainder of the league's existence, through 1930. The original teams from 1915 included the Chambersburg, PA Maroons, Frederick, MD Hustlers, Gettysburg, PA Patriots, Hagerstown, MD Blues, Hanover, PA Hornets, and Martinsburg, WV Champions. Midway through the 1917 season, Jamison awarded the Chambersburg franchise to the Cumberland, MD Colts, after the club refused to pay its annual forfeit fee. The league shrank from six teams to four in 1918, with teams representing Hagerstown, Martinsburg, Cumberland, and Piedmont, WV, but disbanded after three weeks of play due to lack of available players and financial concerns relating to the Great War overseas (WWI). At the time, it was the last remaining Class-D league in all of organized baseball. It was revived in 1920, when Chambersburg and Hanover rejoined the league, and Waynesboro, PA replaced the Gettysburg franchise, and Frederick replaced Piedmont to bring six clubs in the fold. In 1929, several Major League baseball clubs affiliated with the league, including the Cleveland Indians (Frederick), New York Yankees (Chambersburg), St. Louis Cardinals (Waynesboro, PA) and Philadelphia Athletics (Martinsburg). During that period, the league champ played the champions of the Eastern Shore League in the very popular "Five-State Series" that lasted from 1922 to 1927. After the stock market crash of 1929, only four clubs returned for the 1930 season, with Martinsburg and Hanover bowing out. The league disbanded for good after the 1930 season, when three of the remaining four Major League-owned clubs took heavy financial losses, and dropped their affiliations. Hagerstown, MD was the only city to compete for the full 15 years of the league's existence. Among the players who played in this league include Hall of Famers Robert "Lefty" Grove, "Hack" Wilson, and umpire Bill McGowan. Other players include Jimmy Dykes, Bill Sherdel, Lu Blue, Marvin Goodwin, Hank Thormahlen, Clyde Barnhart, Johnny Neun, Rollie Hemsley, Joe Vosmik, "Babe" Phelps, and Roger "Doc" Cramer. Another Blue Ridge League got its start in 1946 and lasted five seasons. This one was located in Virginia and North Carolina and had between 4 and 6 members. It too was rated as a D-level league. Galax, VA, Mount Airy, NC, & Radford, VA competed in all 5 years of this run. Blue Ridge League Cities Represented Blue Ridge League-1915-1930 (PA-MD-WV) *Chambersburg, PA: Chambersburg Maroons 1915-1917; Chambersburg Maroons 1920-1928; Chambersburg Young Yanks 1929-1930 *Cumberland, MD: Cumberland Colts 1917-1918 *Frederick, MD: Frederick Hustlers 1915, 1917; Frederick Champs 1916; Frederick Hustlers 1920-1928; Frederick Warriors 1929-1930 *Gettysburg, PA: Gettysburg Patriots 1915; Gettysburg Ponies 1916-1917 *Hagerstown, MD: Hagerstown Blues 1915; Hagerstown Terriers 1916-1918; Hagerstown Champs 1920-1921; Hagerstown Terriers 1922-1923; Hagerstown Hubs 1924-1930, moved to Middle Atlantic League 1931 *Hanover, PA: Hanover Hornets 1915; Hanover Raiders 1916-1917; Hanover Raiders 1920-1929 *Martinsburg, WV: Martinsburg Champs 1915; Martinsburg Blue Sox 1916-1917; Martinsburg Mountaineers 1918; Martinsburg Mountaineers 1920-1921; Martinsburg Blue Sox 1922-1929 *Piedmont, WV & Westernport, MD: Piedmont-Westernport Drybugs 1918 *Waynesboro, PA: Waynesboro Red Birds 1920; Waynesboro Villagers 1921-1927; Waynesboro Red Birds 1928-1930 Blue Ridge LeagueTeams & Statistics 1915-1930 1915 President: Charles W. Boyer Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1916 President: Charles W. Boyer / Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1917 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. #Chambersburg moved to Cumberland June 30. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1918 President:J. Vincent Jamison, Jr. There would be no league play in 1919. 1920 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1921 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1922 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1923 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1924 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1925 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: No Playoffs. 1926 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: Hagerstown 3 games, Frederick 1; 1927 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: Chambersburg 2 games, Martinsburg 0; 1928 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: Hanover 4 games, Chambersburg 1; game; 1929 President: J.Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: Hagerstown 4 games, Martinsburg 2; game; 1930 President:J. Vincent Jamison, Jr. Playoffs: Chambersburg tied with Waynesboro for the first half title; Chambersburg 2 games, Waynesboro 1. Blue Ridge League-League Records 1915-1930 Blue Ridge League-Cities Represented Blue Ridge League 1946-1950 (NC-VA) *Abingdon, VA: Abingdon Triplets 1948 *Bassett, VA: Bassett Statesmen 1950 *Elkin, NC: Elkin Blanketeers 1949-1950 *Galax, VA: Galax Leafs 1946-1950 *Leaksville, NC Spray, NC Draper, NC: Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 1948 *Lenoir, NC: Lenoir Red Sox 1946-1947, moved to Western Carolina League 1948-1951 *Mount Airy, NC: Mt. Airy Graniteers 1946-1950 *North Wilkesboro, NC: North Wilkesboro Flashers 1948-1950 *Radford, VA: Radford Rockets 1946-1950 *Salem, VA: Salem Friends 1946 *Wytheville, VA: Wytheville Pioneers 1948; Wytheville Statesmen 1949-1950 Blue Ridge LeagueTeams & Statistics 1946-1950 1946 President:Joe Ryan Playoffs: No Playoffs; #Salem moved to Lenoir June 25. 1947 President:Stanley F. Radke Playoffs: Galax 3 games, Radford 1; Lenoir 3 games, Mt. Airy 1; Finals: Galax 4 games, Lenoir 3. 1948 President:Stanley F. Radke / Judge E.C. Bivins #Leaksville-Draper-Spray moved to Abingdon June 18. Playoffs: Galax 3 games, Radford 0; Mt. Airy 3 games, North Wilkesboro 1; Finals: Mt. Airy 4 games, Galax 3. 1949 President: Judge E.C. Bivins Playoffs: Wytheville 4 games, Mt. Airy 2; North Wilkesboro 4 games, Galax 2; Finals: North Wilkesboro 4 games, Wytheville 1. 1950 President: John B. Spiers #Wytheville moved to Bassett July 27 due to a polio outbreak. Playoffs: Elkin 3 games, Galax 0; Mt. Airy 3 games, Radford 1; Finals: Mt. Airy 4 games, Elkin 0. Category:Defunct Baseball Leagues Category:Defunct baseball leagues in the United States